So as you know, I have been tagged. This is very exciting to me. It means somebody actually read my blog to some extent! But more importantly it means other people may be possessed to read as well! I feel like a kindergarden kid who wasn’t the last one picked for T-ball. At least I imagine this is what it would feel like, but let’s not hash out old wounds;) So thank you Kate, for picking me.

So here goes…

What was I doing, 10 years ago?
Let me see, I was either on my way to, or had just moved to S.L.O. Ca to live with my grandparents and maybe go to school. I had just finished high school, (we’ll almost, something about a missing gym credit, who knew?) broke up with my high school “sweetheart” (Nothing all that dramatic, we got back together when I moved back home.) And hmmm, I was looking to start over fresh… I did. It was fun. Changed my perspective completely.

5 years ago?
2000… I was planning a wedding, a large one at that. (Not to the afore mentioned) This made me an extreamely abnoxious person completely absorbed in petty things such as guest books and processional music. I don’t know how people lived with me, I don’t know how I lived with me… Oh yes, I believe the answer I coined back then was “pass me another cookie?”, still one of my favorite solutions to any problem. That must have been it. The only consolation I have is that DH was just as insane, I’m good with that! I was still in school part time and if I remember correctly desperately trying to get out of my “Ethics in the visual arts” class, it didn’t have to be such a yawner. I had just started working in a home decor store and was lapping up the industry like a chocolatini. I think I may have been pulling a few shifts waitressing too. I’m exhausted just thinking about it. Good ridence!

1 year ago?
Still on mat. leave, enjoying my summer, watching my baby grow… need I say more?

Yesterday…
Morning; Fell on my ass!
Noon; Spent in doctors office.
Aft/Eve; On my ass again, foot up, knitting. Watched a documentary on how North American markets are changing the whole philosophy of European wine making. No comment. Then Constantine, again, no comment.

Today…
I’m Bloggin’, I’m Knittin’, I’m Bloggin’, I’m Knittin’... You get the picture. Might watch some DVD’s with DH (after he makes dinner and puts the babe to bed. Hee, hee.)

Tomorrow… Off to the resort, where all my family will be at my beck and call, and my son will be occupied and I will… you guessed it! Knit! (I should really do this broken bone thing more often, well… maybe not too often.)

5 snacks I enjoy…
Chocolate chip cookies dipped in coffee….mmmm, Red wine & Dark Chocolate, Hummus w/Pita (also a toddler fave), A salsa, sour cream, & cheese dip thing with nacho chips, and ummm did I say chocolate? Oh and cheese, yes definately cheese.

5 bands and singers for which I know most of their stuff…
The Cure (although I’m familiar with the really early stuff or the last album), Catherine wheel, Swervedriver, Tori Amos, Portisehead. (This one was harder than it should have been…I must listen to big people music more often.)

What would I do with 100,000,000?
Buy a house, a mini van, invest in my kids education, if there was anything left I’d take a vacation.

5 locations I’d run away to…
Australia, Brazil, Florence, Southern France, Greece. Some just because I’ve never been, some because I have and need return.

5 bad habits…
I bite my nails, pick at pimples, throw my wet towels on the floor, talk too candidly & I’m forgetful/thoughtless.

5 things I like doing…
Knitting, Yoga, Taking my son on walks, Cuddling with one or both of my boys in the morning and surfing for yarn and stuff.

5 things I would never wear…
A mumu (sp?), translucent heels a la Fredericks of Hollywood, Daisy Dukes, platform boots (I’d look like Frankenstein), Cupless bra (the ones that just look like padded underwires?)

5 TV shows I like…
Any new Star Trek, Lost, The Amazing Race, E.R., 6 Feet under

5 Movies I like… Dune/Children of Dune, Lord of the Rings (series), The Matrix(series), Pulp Fiction, Backbeat

5 famous people I’d like to meet… Georgia O’keefe, Degas, Andy Warhol, Jackie Onassis, Mary Poppins

5 biggest joys at the moment…
Watching my son learn to talk, learn to climb, learn to joke, watching him sleep, watching my husband watch him do the same.

5 favorite toys… My sewing machine, Kitchen Aid, Cuisinart, Computer, Camera

So now comes the hard part, I think I’ll tag Slipnotpixie and… Souldroppings and…Aenduinaknits, don’t know any of them but I found them on Knitty and they’re all somewhat new, like moi! Or at least new to me anyway…

Although I’ll have to do the actual tagging next week, because my bus is leaving any second…
Have a great long weekend!

(Edited to add, The tags are finally officialy complete phew Such an arduous task!)

I have wholes in all the right places! I’ve finally made some progress on the Rebecca tunic. I don’t know what I was doing with the yarn overs, but somehow I was undoing them on the next row. Some sort of reverse purl twisty thing, waaayyy more complicated than it really was. How shocking… me? Make things complicated? Never. Safari is knitting up much faster than I thought it would, it’s interesting to knit, reminds me of twine (kind of). I’m just a touch concerned about having enough of it though… I have to learn to buy at least one extra ball. Fingers (and toes) crossed. I think that was the last of the stock.

Good news first!
I got another package today. Yay mail man! 10 balls of Anny Blatt Honeymoon feels wonderful but, ooohhhh how stinky. (I smell old people.) I’m not sure what to do with it. I’m thinking of putting it in a bag with dryer sheets or maybe some smelly soap. I’m nervous about washing it for a few reasons, first I don’t know mohair all that well. (Even though I’m supposed to be mohair, ahhhh the search for the self is endless!) Second, I’ve never washed yarn before and wouldn’t know where to begin. Then to top it all off, I have no idea what to create out of 200 yrds of mohair Oh! the life one must lead!

Now for the juicy stuff…
I’m a big Dork! I fell down while running across the street yesterday (not a pretty picture to begin with) and I actually managed to break my ankle. Who does that??? My DH swears it’s because I’m tall. When a tree falls in the forest, it isn’t pretty let me tell ya!
Now I have to stay off it for at least a week and apparently a cast won’t help. So what does this mean? Camping trip has been delayed (at least our arrival anyway,) DH has to play Mister Mom and I am layed up on either couch or bed… left only to knit! I’m torn, is this good or bad? I suppose that depends on when I took my last Advil.

Did I mention the part about me being a dork? I was reading a blog, can’t remember which one, maybe it was a post on Knitty and somebody mentioned that Soho Summer has been discontinued, well Duh! No wonder it’s been on sale. At least I’ve hoarded a bunch!

I haven’t forgot the Meme post, It is coming. I’m actually quite excited, but being so new to “Blogland” I’m not sure who to tag. I’m sure soon the answers will all become clear. Hmmmm, kind of hungry. Wonder where DH is?

“Knitting Guru”
You appear to be a Knitting Guru. You love knitting and do it all the time. While finishing a piece is the plan, you still love the process, and can’t imagine a day going by without giving some time to your yarn. Packing for vacation involves leaving ample space for the stash and supplies. It can be hard to tell where the yarn ends and you begin.

What Kind of Knitter Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

Ahhhh! To be a guru so early in my knitting career… what do I have left to aspire to? How tragic.

You are Mohair.
You are a warm and fuzzy type who works well with others, doing your share without being too weighty. You can be stubborn and absolutely refuse to change your position once it is set, but that’s okay since you are good at covering up your mistakes.


What kind of yarn are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

I just got back last night, much to my dismay I accomplished little to nothing knit wise this weekend.

The poncho, (my in-the-car-mindless-project) wasn’t touched because I couldn’t find anybody else to drive the 4 hours. And the tunic… Hates Me I swear I’ve knit the first 20 rows and frogged it at least 16 times. I’m just a touch frustrated. There’s something going wonky with the yarn overs and I end up with the wrong number of holes. At one point I was ready to ditch the whole idea.

I got home last night to my package from Knitwerx This is the first time I’ve placed an order with them, and I have to say I’m really impressed. Here’s why… They are Canadian and charged my credit card in Canadian funds. Not many do.

(I get really annoyed when buying from a Canadian e-tailer and I end up paying taxes, shipping, exchange rate and the points that the credit card gets for foreign currency. Feels like they’re trying to suck and blow at the same time and are getting away with it. Sorry about the rant.)

My yarn came nicely packaged in a lime coloured tissue paper, and there was a little hand written card thanking me for my purchase. And… there was candy in the box (Not to mention the yarn was on sale as well.)

Which leads my to the yarn, after looking at my stash last night I realized I’ve become a bit of a Jo Sharp junkie, I’ve only knit her cotton yarns but, ooooooh how soft. I have yet (in my limited experience) to find another cotton as soft. As a result when I see a sale, I buy, buy, buy! Here are the newest members of my little collection.

Opening the box, renewed my knitting aspirations and I cast on the tunic once again last night.
We shall see how this evolves. I have a week of camping to get a half decent start to it before we go to Greece.

I know I promised pictures of the finished “Nappy Bag”, but I gave it to my friend along with the blanket on friday, before I found the camera. When I finish the one for myself, I’ll definately post a picture. It may be a while, I haven’t even started it.

Oh, and I’ve beeen tagged! So as soon as I figure the whole thing out I’ll post, probably later this afternoon (naptime).

I’ve finally finished the Nappy Bag. I’m quite proud of this little accomplishment. It is the first thing I have made from a pattern, and the second project ever! I wish I could post a picture but I’ve Ahem misplaced my camera.

When I find it I will post the finished result.

I’m so excited about the whole thing that I think tonight I’ll cut out the pieces to sew one for myself. (I need another bag, like I need another husband! He. He.) I think I’ll do the reverse and use the paisly print for the outside this time, it’s a touch more Bohemian. I might add an outside pocket as well, maybe with a flap, we’ll see what the fabric determines. I also like the idea of lining the pockets with the contrasting fabrics rather than the like. I was also thinking that a key ring clip would be extremely practical for someone like me. Who am I kidding, the only thing that will save me are retina scans, I would have to work really hard to lose my head! I could probably manage it though.

I’m getting ready to go camping for a couple of weeks. I’m anticipating finishing my poncho and finally making some progress on my tunic. But now I find myself trying to figure out how to fit my sewing machine and ironing board amongst the plethura of gear that goes along with a toddler. It’s not really camping, we’ll be taking my parents motor home. And I can take advantage of babysitting relatives and leach off the experienced sewers in the family. I’ve been looking for a pair of linen pants that actually fit properly, a rather futile quest I’ve come to learn. I’m sure I could find a pattern…

This will be the last post, for a little while. When I come back I will have lots and lots to show
When I find the camera.

It’s around 11pm, the dishes are done, my child is asleep, my bed is made, I went to yoga, there’s a huge pile of clothes to be put away… and I’m Blogging?

I see a storm brewing in my midst… should I knit? Should I Blog? Knit? Blog?
One must strive to achieve balance (thus the aforementioned pile of laundry). So I will blog, then knit! Eureka!

Just to prove that my former post was not just a shamless “look at my stash” flaunt, but more proof positive of my inability to put the needles down. I’ll put my money where my mouth is and show some pictures.

After I knitted 7 (yes 7) scarves, I moved on to the felted market bag from Weekend Knits. I gave it to my mom for Mother’s Day, then knit another for myself. (This one’s mine, did I mention I just love it!) .

I began the baby blanket from the same book, it took me almost 3 months. But I think it turned out okay. There was a bit of ad-libing (sp?) I ran out of yarn. But I prefer the colour striping on the lining.

Oh, then there were approx. 6 washcloths to include in gift baskets I was making up for friends and family. Some where in there I cast on the poncho that I’m currently working on. And most recently, very recently I cast on the tunic from Rebecca 27.

Somehow while exploring the online knitting world, fabrics began to catch my eye, (having only ever being to the big box fabric stores, I had no idea there were such beautiful printed fabrics to play with) so… I got a sewing machine. My very first project? A needle roll for my mother. Then I stumbled over some Amy Butler Patterns… I’m now halfway through my second sewing project, the Nappy Bag. I can’t wait to try out some of the handbags. Just love the retro prints!

Convinced that I could teach my self to sew as quickly as I picked up knitting… I took advantage of a sale on great home decor fabrics. Now I have 14 yards waiting to be magically converted into a bedskirt, duvet cover, shams and a whole wack of decorative pillows. But alas, that will be left until fall, I can only chew on so much.

So here it comes, finally I show the world how truly impulsive I can be. One has to remember, of course, that I am the mother of a toddler… which allows for very little day time shopping. Most of my aquisitions have been made far into the wee hours, where pragmatism seldom rears it’s ugly head. One might say I have a yearning for materials within my grasp to be beautifully made as well functional. Thus my first needles were mostly Brittany (relatively pricey in Canada), or Clover Takumi. My first knitting bag? The Knitter’s Purse, by Jordana Paige.

Then after seeing the tiered baskets by Lantern Moon, I was walking down the street and stumbled across a great deal for one very similar. I needed somewhere to store all those fantastic yarns that poured through my door on almost a weekly basis. It all seemed to make sense to me… Explaining the credit card statement to D.H. proved a little more challenging.

1- Mission Falls, 1824 wool, for games bag project from Weekend Knits
2- Elann’s Peruvian Collection, Highland Wool, Poncho from Weekend Knits- O.T.N.
More Mission Falls
3- KnitPicks Andean Silk, for childs sweater from Knitting for Tots
4- Arucania, Nature Wool, still searching for what it wants to grow up to be
5- GGH, Safari, for the tunic from Rebecca #27- O.T.N.
6- Jo Sharp, Soho Summer… Perhaps a light lacey cadigan? from Knitting for Two
7- Jo Sharp, Desert Garden…I’m feeling a stripped boat neck 3/4 sleeved sweater
8- Filatura, Carezza & Rowan Lurex Shimmer, for a hoodie from Knitting for Two
9- Jo Sharp, Soho Summer…still looking for it’s purpose
10- Ellan’s Endless Summer Collection, Lara, for a t-shirt from Knitting for Two

(There’s no indication there of what my family planning goals might be there)

1- Patons, wool
2- Patons, varied lot of synthetic yarns
3- Bulky Lopi, Man’s sweater from Weekend Knits
4- Bulky Highland Wool, originally for above but has been demoted
5- Left over wool and Elann’s subscription samples

Various Books and Magazines (one can never have enough of those).

Oh, did I mention I taught myself to knit about six months ago???

It just occured to me that I have recently passed through a threshold of motherhood. After spending a little more than a year and a half with my head stuck in a diaper bag, my thoughts and interests are beginning to turn away from all things baby. This in itself is not that remarkable. What I find interesting is that my current flights of fancy are far different from what they might have been before.

I used to scoff at housework and really, anything domestic. I have begun, first with knitting, then by teaching myself the mysterious art of sewing, to branch out and relish in my homemaking achievements. It is a particularily poignant journey since it was not the one my mother or grandmother chose. I wonder what they really think about the choices I’ve made in this regard. But that, I think, is the point. I have the choice.

Wilst feverently trying to broaden my homemaking abilities, I have also expanded my interests to include arts of a more physical nature. I have recently taken up yoga and belly dancing. I find my self not only feeling de-stressed after three nights a week of much needed and well deserved “mommy time”, but more aware of and connected to my own body than ever.

In essence, I find my self expanding to include aspects of my own feminity that were either lost or simply trained out of me. It feels good…

They say that admitting that you have a problem is half the battle… I’ll bite… I am obsessive.

So, what’s the problem? I’m left wondering if this trait of mine should not be considered endearing, even if it means that I sometimes bite off more than I can chew.

Fairly new to knitting, (alright, I’m green) and even more so to blogging (bright florescent flashing green), I’ve been desperately trying to come up with some profound way to introduce myself, and my life as it is right now. I gave up…

After deciding that I was somewhat content with my current decor, and failing miserably at my attempts to cook gorgeous, healthy, varied meals for my family, I turned to another realm of domesticity, the tactile, calming and creative practice of knitting. After all, Christmas was close and I needed to drum up some more gifts. Not surprisingly, I jumped in with both feet amassing a huge collection of yarn, tools and treasures. And I was only a few scarves in. I began spending hours online looking for fantastic deals on beautiful yarns, elegant books, and fabulous swag. I stumbled onto communities such as those at Elann and Knitty. And who could do a search on knitting without stumbling across knit blogs at every turn? So there I’ve lurked, until this very point, when I have (at DH’s insistance) created my very own knit blog.

Hello world, it is me, an obsessive self proclaimed Yarn Ho!

You got a problem with that?